A Decent Proposal
by Yemam2422
Summary: DL. Danny unexpectedly proposes to Lindsay.


**A/N**: Originally intended to be the conclusion to another story of mine, Tension, but you don't have to have read that for this to make sense. So, consider it either an epilogue to Tension or a standalone one-shot (just know that Danny and Lindsay have been together for awhile and once had a drunken karaoke experience).

THANK YOU to **mel60** for the beta help and to everyone who reads/reviews!

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"Lindsay."

"Hmm?"

"Lindsay!" Danny poked her nose this time in an effort to wake her.

She finally cracked an eye open to see Danny lying in bed next to her, smiling.

"Let's go outside, go for a swim in the ocean."

"What? It's the middle of the night."

"It's actually four a.m. Besides, aren't you supposed to like that? The moonlight, the beach – it's romantic."

Lindsay groaned and covered her head with a pillow. She and Danny had been vacationing in Hawaii for the past week. It had not been easy getting the same time off from work, but Mac finally conceded after persistent badgering from Danny, pleading from Lindsay and some interference from Stella.

Lindsay should not have been surprised at Danny's suggestion. He'd been all about adventure since they arrived – trying ATVs, scuba diving, a helicopter ride. He'd even managed to get them back onto a karaoke stage – sober this time around, their rendition of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' had gone much more smoothly. She'd happily and eagerly joined him in all the activities and even convinced him of the benefits to simply relaxing on the beach. Going swimming in the middle of the night was one of his tamer suggestions, but there was no way she was participating this time, at this hour.

When she heard Danny shuffling around the room she realized he was not kidding. Peeking her head from under the pillow she sleepily watched him change into his swimming shorts and sweatshirt.

"You're nuts," Lindsay said.

"That's why you love me," Danny teased.

Lindsay smiled into her pillow. Seeing that crack in her resolve, Danny pulled Lindsay into a sitting position on the side of the bed.

"Here's your bathing suit," Danny said as he stuffed her bikini into her hands.

"We'll freeze out there."

Danny continued to ignore her excuses. "So you don't have to go in the water. Just wear what you have on. Come on. We are on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It's almost dawn and we'll be able to watch the sun come up."

Lindsay half-heartedly groaned. She guessed he had a point. She had the rest of her life to sleep but just one day left on the island. She pulled on a sweatshirt of her own to cover her tank top and boxers and let Danny drag her down the stairs.

The beach was just as beautiful at night as in the day, with an added layer of mystery. The lapping of the waves was hypnotizing. The dark water and sky blended together, the sprinkling of stars and white moon the only indicators of a separation between the two.

There was a brisk wind blowing and Lindsay was glad for her sweatshirt. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned into Danny. Her hand entwined with his, she realized how perfectly happy she was with him. The tropical surroundings were a bonus but she knew they could be in the middle of nowhere and be just as content.

They were walking close to the water's edge, the sand cool and wet beneath their feet. Lindsay looked back to the twin lines of footsteps that trailed them - close together, in sync. It looked like a scene from a hallmark card. Lindsay burned that image of their footsteps into her memory. They walked until they reached a grouping of large boulders. Danny stopped and peeled off his sweatshirt.

"You're actually going to swim? The water's going to be freezing!"

With just a grin Danny ran into the ocean's edge and waded in. Lindsay perched herself on one of the boulders and watched him. He jumped into the crashing waves then began swimming. She couldn't help the sense of pride that came over her. He looked so strong and magnificent against the waves.

When he finally made his way back to land, water streamed off his body. He ran back up to her smiling, shaking water off his body like a dog. She jumped off the rock and handed him his sweatshirt.

"It's not cold once you get in. You should jump in. Just wear what you have on," Danny suggested as he wiped his face dry with his sweatshirt.

Lindsay couldn't resist the innocent pleasure Danny seemed to get from his swim. "I'll dip my feet in."

Lindsay shed her sweatshirt and let Danny lead her back to the ocean. She gingerly stepped into the water but the first incoming wave surrounded her legs with ice cold water.

"Danny! It's freezing!"

"You just need to get used to it," Danny protested as Lindsay started to scamper back to the sand. Catching her by the wrist, Danny whirled her back into his arms. Laughing and half-heartedly struggling, Lindsay felt him scoop her up and shrieked.

"Don't you dare do what I think you are about to do!"

Danny was wading deeper into the sea with Lindsay in his arms, carefully holding her out of reach of the water as it swirled around his hips.

"What will you give me if I bring you back without dropping you?"

"Blackmail, Messer? That's not very nice."

"Whatever works," he said with a shrug.

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh. "How about a dollar?"

"Hmmm." Danny considered the offer but shook his head. "A kiss."

She could do that, Lindsay thought. With the moon bouncing off his features, his blue eyes gleaming in the light, he looked devilishly handsome. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she satisfied his request. The kiss was light, teasing, but without warning Danny made it more intense, making everything else around them disappear.

Then he dropped her.

Lindsay's scream turned into a gurgle as icy cold water closed over her head. Struggling to find her footing she managed to shoot to the surface. Danny was laughing hysterically.

"You are such a creep…a total…you…not funny." Lindsay was so furious and frozen that she couldn't put a sentence together. And even though she was blinded by her hair, it didn't stop her from going after Danny, wading through the water, throwing harmless punches.

The pull of the waves made it difficult to walk and Lindsay felt herself tiring. Giving up on her assault, she made her way back to the shore and plopped down on the sand. She was glad it was the middle of the night and no one else was around because Lindsay knew how ridiculous she looked – clad in pajamas that were now transparent, her hair a dripping mess, teeth chattering. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering with cold. Danny had trailed her, still laughing.

"Don't be mad Lindsay, I couldn't resist."

"Mad? Oh, I'm not mad. I'm furious."

"It was just a joke. I'm sorry."

"Sorry, huh. I'll make you sorry," and with that Lindsay swung at him one final time and this time connected with his face.

"Ouch!"

"Serves you right," Lindsay said as she stalked back to the boulders. Glancing back, she saw Danny coming up behind her and recognized the mischievous gleam in his eyes that even the darkness could not hide. Instinctively she started to run, but did not get far before he sent her tumbling into the sand with a flying tackle.

"Let go of me! You are such a bully!" Lindsay knew her laughter was defeating her attempt at scolding Danny.

Despite her efforts to stop him, Danny had turned her around so that she was flat on her back and he straddled her hips. He held her wrists down at either side of his legs. He had her trapped. Helpless and breathless, Lindsay glared at him.

"I think I'm going to have a black eye. Now you're going to have to kiss it better."

Danny leaned closer until he was just inches from her and pointed to spot under his right eye. "Right there."

Lindsay felt her anger fade as she stared up at Danny, knowing her fist had barely grazed his cheek, and contemplated her options. She lifted her head to close the short distance between them and nipped him with her teeth.

"Hey!" Danny jerked back. He needed only a few seconds to recover before he recaptured her hands. "That's going to cost you, Montana. Now you have to kiss me properly."

"Danny, will you please let me go? I'm freezing."

"Not until you kiss me."

When he didn't budge, a grin curling the corner of his mouth, Lindsay relented. "Oh, alright. You win." She reached up and pecked his lips.

"You call that a kiss? This is a kiss." With that he lowered his head and claimed her mouth with his. Lindsay wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. That _was_ a kiss, Lindsay thought as she was reduced to a quivering mess. His lips were warm despite of the cold. His mouth gently opened hers and his tongue darted inside. He continued to kiss her until she was clinging to him. Her mind went blank as Danny gently, almost reverently, slipped off her clothes and traced her body with his fingers. Naked in the sand, she was shielded from the brisk air around them by the heat of their passion. She arched at the sensations colliding inside her. Danny placed kisses along her ribs, stomach, lower. Her muscles bunching under his touch. By the time Danny shucked his shorts Lindsay was wriggling her hips, encouraging him for more. She bit her lip when he finally filled her and they made love with an intensity neither of them had experienced before.

Afterwards, redressed in their sweatshirts and snuggled into each other, Danny pointed to the east. "Look."

Lindsay turned to the direction he was pointing and was mesmerized. The dark sky was coming alive with deep shades of red, purple and gold.

"It's beautiful," Lindsay whispered.

"I knew you'd like it." Danny said smugly. Lindsay looked over at him, one arm bent under his head as he admired the view. His hair was almost dry, his face covered with a light stubble and bathed in the orange glow. Lindsay watched him instead of the sunrise, mentally tracing each of his features that she'd already memorized. Looking at him, she felt a tremendous swelling of emotion. Danny turned to her and smiled.

"I love you Danny." The words came out of nowhere. Lindsay blinked at him, as taken as surprise as he.

There was a brief silence as his blue eyes bored into her. His hand came up to cup her face. She shivered at his touch.

"Then marry me." Danny was stunned, then elated. His response was the most natural reaction, an instinct almost. To make this last forever. He needed it to. He wanted it to. It had not been part of his plan – either for tonight or this vacation. He didn't have ring. He hadn't thought about it. But it made total sense.

Lindsay caught her breath, her eyes widening at the excitement that burst from her chest and radiated throughout her body. She was certain she was glowing. His words had shocked her more than the cold water had earlier. All she could do was focus on their hands. Hers pale and tiny; his wide and tan. They fit together so perfectly. She was almost afraid to move, to shatter the moment. But she knew everything she ever wanted was right in front of her.

"Okay." _Okay_? That's not what she meant to say. That sounded so lame. She meant to say 'Yes, absolutely, of course.'

Lindsay tried to correct herself, "That's not what I meant…" Panicked at how that sounded she tried again, "I mean that is what I meant…it just didn't come out right…yes…I will…I…" This was the most inopportune time for her nervous rambling to kick in Lindsay realized.

Danny lifted their joined hands to his lips. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes, it's a yes."

Danny cupped her face with his hands and kissed her breathless. She returned his kiss with everything she had.

"Let's go back to the room and…celebrate," Danny suggested when he finally pulled away from her.

"Sounds good."

As they stood up, Danny realized he had forgotten something. "Lindsay, you know that I love you, right?"

"Well you hadn't said it explicitly, but I thought the proposal kind of meant the same thing."

"Because I do. I want our life together."

"Then let's get started on it," Lindsay said as they walked hand-in-hand back across the beach.


End file.
